March 21, 2016

White Gloves

It's drilled into us from the time we start buying our first show outfit: black gloves until your hands are steady.  White gloves draw attention to the hands, and you don't want the judge to notice that.

After my lesson last week, (in which I forgot my gloves and my trainer subsequently nailed me on all kinds of hand faults) I started wondering why we don't make a point to lesson in light colored gloves, when we WANT to call attention to our hands.  That's the point behind these jackets too, isn't it?

I know I just used this picture, but in my Thursday lesson she started nailing me for my right hand always being too high, which looks like it has been a problem for a while, judging by this picture.  Definitely don't need attention drawn to those hands...

I like fun blog experiments, and this seemed like a good one.  I ordered a pair of white Roeckl Chesters, which I will wear for lessons and see if there is any difference in the feedback I get.  I won't wear them for anything but lessons with my long-time trainer, so nobody gets the wrong idea and thinks I'm full of myself.

(Yes, I know they won't stay white.  That's okay. I am decades away from being competent enough to wear white gloves for showing.)

(I can't ride in anything but Roeckls.  At least I got a good deal on these.  I'm currently going through a crisis of conscience over wanting a pair of black ones for showing, and not being able to pull the trigger based on the enormous cost-per-wear of paying $50 for something I'll wear for approximately what, 60 minutes per year?  I have literally both added them to my Riding Warehouse cart and picked them up in a brick-and-mortar tack shop last week and put them back twice.  Ugh.)

28 comments:

  1. Doooooooooooooooo itttttttttttttt. Roeckls are the only gloves I'll wear forever and ever.

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    1. Oh man same here. They are lifechanging.

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  2. So now I want that sweat scraper and that pink and black jacket! I have every color of gloves for schooling (not a surprise), but they are mostly sale bin gloves so there are no moral money issues there. I also show in black gloves, I feel like I need to be competing at higher than first level to justify white gloves.

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    1. Oh yeah, I want that jacket too! Totally with you on showing in white gloves - I am yeeeeeeeears away from that.

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  3. Huh. Those jackets are fascinating. It kind of reminds me how I used a silver sharpie to mark where my hands should be when my reins are short, to visually remind me when my reins were too long. The visual helped a LOT.

    Also, I lust after the tan/camel colored roeckls. Maybe if they fit me better I'd consider the expense.

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    1. Me too. I couldn't find them for cheap though. They're tough to find.

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  4. I bought a pair of tan SSG hybrid gloves in the fall because I thought they looked nice- I ultimately used this same reason to justify the purchase! I don't show, but always assumed I must have black gloves. Why? So silly. I don't wear them all the time, and I can't say I have noticed our trainer harp more on my hands while wearing them but I am confident that's just because she has bigger fish to fry when I am in the saddle ;-) so I'll be curious to see how your experiment turns out!

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    1. I've seen those, they look nice. Ha! She's probably going to pay more attention to everyone's hands now after drilling me two lessons in a row.

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  5. Roeckls. I resisted for so long, now I'm never, EVER going back. I'm too afraid to wear white gloves in lessons - I hear enough about my hands on the daily wearing black gloves! You are a brave soul.

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  6. I love this idea! White gloves in lessons and black gloves in the ring for the time being. I might have to look into getting lighter gloves. Oh, and I also tend to have trouble with having my right hand higher.

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    1. Of course you do, we're twins! Haha. That's interesting. I think it's related to that being my mouse hand. I actually have another post to write about my Sunday lesson, I figured out a mobility issue in my left arm that causes my thumb to not point up.

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  7. That's brilliant! Why didn't I think of that??

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    1. I didn't either until I forgot my gloves! Haha.

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  8. I tried my first (and second) pair of Roeckls on this year. I'd like a pair, but I'm balking at the price.

    And yeah, sticking with black to show. Definitely not that good yet.

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    1. And I'd like a PS of Sweden bridle, but I balk at the price :-p Haha. Funny how we can each feel totally cool spending money on some things, but not others.

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  9. My comment has nothing to do with white gloves, fair warning. I NEVER ride in gloves. I hate riding in gloves. I don't understand why everyone likes it? I mean I get it, but I don't agree. My favorite part of the jumpers was not having to wear gloves.

    Now that I'm back in hunterland indefinitely, I did pony up for a pair of Roeckl's. They are less terrible than normal gloves. Either way, this comment is random but I felt inclined to share. :)

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    1. Haha, not random at all! I used to be the same as you when I did H/J, I hated gloves. But in Dressage we carry so much more weight in the reins (even in a normal non-pulling horse situation) that it kinda hurts to ride without gloves. At least for me. Roeckls are definitely the least glove-like gloves, they just fit like a second skin. Love them! Your opinion makes total sense to me.

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    2. I also really hated wearing gloves forever (especially back in the days of grabbing mane while I was learning to jump) but then I moved to Florida and half of the year my horse and I are dripping sweat and I just couldn't hold on.

      I ended up buying my first pair of Roeckls this weekend because I realized an hour before my show that I forgot to pack gloves, and there wasn't many choices in my size at the few vendors at the schooling show... so secretly I was thrilled that I had no choice but to buy my first pair.

      They remind me of a slightly nicer version of the SSG gloves I was riding in before. I can't remember exactly which ones they were, but they were around $35 and totally tolerable for a previous non-glove wearer.

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  10. interesting!!! i honestly rarely wear gloves while schooling dressage anyway... even tho i probably should since i show in them and need to learn a better feel....

    a thing i *do* do tho is wear lots of long sleeve shirts with thumb holes - esp in the winter, and ESP my super duper warm hot pink shirt. the little bit of hot pink sticking out to cover my hand always stands out starkly against a dark jacket, so it has the same effect of highlighting the hands

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  11. I am still on my first pair of roeckels, I bought a second pair as back up and its like seriously what... 5 years ago I bought the first pair, so bite the bullet, you will have them forever :P

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    1. I have two pairs, three now! They actually haven't held up great due to my rubber reins. But they're still going, just in rough shape.

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  12. Huh - I've never head of those jackets before! Super intriguing. And I'm intrigued to hear how the glove experiment goes!

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  13. What a fabulous idea! I wonder if I could get white reflective cuffs or something and stick them on my kids and just nail them constantly for things hahahahahahahaha

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  14. I used to hate gloves so much that I'd get blisters between my fingers from a particularly heavy on the hands school horse. And then I met my first pair of Roeckls. I love them. I love them so much. Like L, I actually bought a back-up pair and am wondering when the hell I'm going to get to use them! :)

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  15. I have never understood why people are so shy about wearing white gloves! I show dressage in white gloves and have never had one comment from a judge on it. I think people psych themselves out about them too much!

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  16. I'm pretty sure I'd be ripped off a horse if I wore any of those clothes. "HOW IS YOUR BODY EVEN MOVING LIKE THAT?!" is what someone would yell at me lol

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